As is well known in the art, a conventional shopping cart generally includes a large basket, an undercarriage with a number of wheels, a push handle, and a child seat. The shopping carts generally nest together so as to minimize storage space and to permit a number of shopping carts to be moved together. Various types of add-on devices have been used with conventional types of shopping carts. These add-on devices include various types of advertisements, child safety seats, and even computer touch screens. Another known type of add-on device is a beverage receptacle. These beverage receptacles allow a shopper to place a bottle, can, or cup within the receptacle while shopping. For example, a known receptacle is shown in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 2,763,413, entitled "Bottle Holder for Grocery Carts." This patent is incorporated herein by reference. This reference shows a device with a number of steel rods forming a bottle receptacle and having a hook-like element that may be crimped to a structural member of a grocery cart.
The problem with such known beverage receptacles are several fold. First, the positioning of the beverage receptacle on the shopping cart may prevent the shopping carts from nesting properly. For example, if the beverage receptacle is mounted on the sides, on either end, on the push handle, or on certain interior locations of the shopping cart, the shopping carts may not be able to nest together completely. This means that the carts cannot be stored properly or maneuvered as a group. Such a result is clearly disfavored by the supermarket operator. Another problem with known beverage receptacles is the lack of compatibility with various types of conventional shopping carts. Shopping carts typically come in various shapes and sizes with various elements having different angles and configurations. A bottle receptacle that is adequate in one model of shopping cart very well may not be adaptable to another model.
What is needed, therefore, is a receptacle for bottles, cans, and cups that can be used with a conventional shopping cart. The receptacle must adequately support a beverage container while also allowing multiple shopping carts to nest properly. Further, the beverage receptacle should be adaptable to various types and models of shopping carts. These goals should be accomplished with a beverage receptacle that is relatively practical, inexpensive, and easy to clean.